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EMDR

Whether you’re seeking help for grief, trauma, PTSD, or anxiety, EMDR therapy is designed to work at your pace.
Sound like you?
"I'm feeling stuck and I want to break the patterns of old behaviors."

"I'm so afraid of driving again after the accident. I doubt I'll ever be able to.

"I just don't believe in myself anymore. I don't trust myself. I don't love myself."

"I've always thought I must be worthless or bad. Why else did that happen to me?"
Life doesn't have to stay this way. We can help!
It feels like you’ve tried everything, but the weight of your trauma, anxiety, or depression just won’t lift. You’ve spent years in talk therapy, hoping for a breakthrough, yet the same painful memories and feelings keep resurfacing. Despite all the work you’ve put in, your life still doesn’t feel fulfilling, and you’re left wondering if you’ll ever find the peace you’re seeking. The frustration and discouragement are real—you’ve done your research, and now you’re ready to try something different, something that can finally bring you the relief you’ve been searching for.
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Have a question?
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What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapeutic approach designed to help individuals heal from trauma, grief, PTSD, and other distressing life experiences. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR focuses on reprocessing traumatic memories stored in the brain, allowing clients to move past their pain and regain emotional balance. Through guided bilateral stimulation, such as directed eye movements or gentle tapping, EMDR activates the brain's natural healing processes, helping to resolve the emotional impact of past experiences.
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At its core, EMDR is about empowerment. For individuals struggling with unresolved grief, trauma, or anxiety, the therapy provides a structured yet adaptable method to address painful memories. The goal is not to erase these memories but to reduce their emotional intensity, making them less disruptive to daily life. Over time, this can lead to lasting relief, improved self-esteem, and healthier coping mechanisms.
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EMDR therapy is particularly effective for those who feel stuck, whether due to childhood trauma, sudden loss, or other adverse experiences. It offers hope for individuals who have tried traditional therapy approaches without significant progress. Recognized by leading organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Psychological Association (APA), EMDR is a trusted method for treating grief, PTSD, and trauma.
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At Creating Space Therapy, we specialize in using EMDR to help clients of all ages, offering a safe, client-centered space to navigate their unique journeys of healing. Our compassionate, expert therapists are here to support you every step of the way.

What to Expect in an EMDR Session?

Starting EMDR therapy can feel intimidating, especially if you’re unsure about what to expect. At Creating Space Therapy, we ensure that each session is a collaborative, safe, and supportive experience tailored to your unique needs. Whether you’re seeking help for grief, trauma, PTSD, or anxiety, EMDR therapy is designed to work at your pace.
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Your first sessions focus on preparation and trust-building. Together, you and your therapist will explore your history, identify goals for therapy, and develop tools to manage emotions, such as grounding exercises or mindfulness techniques. This foundation ensures that you feel confident and safe as you move into deeper work.
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When you’re ready, the reprocessing phase begins. During this phase, your therapist will guide you as you focus on a specific memory or distressing thought. Bilateral stimulation, such as following the therapist's hand movements with your eyes or experiencing gentle tapping, is used to help your brain process the memory in a new, healthier way. This process allows the emotional intensity of the memory to diminish, reducing triggers and fostering healing.
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Each session is carefully tailored to your comfort level. You can pause, reflect, or shift focus at any time. EMDR therapy is not about rushing but about creating space for meaningful healing.
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At Creating Space Therapy, our EMDR therapists ensure you feel heard, supported, and empowered throughout your journey. With compassionate care, we help you navigate the challenges of grief and trauma, fostering lasting relief and resilience.

How Do I Know If I Need EMDR?

If you’re noticing that your past experiences are holding you back, affecting your daily life, and leaving you feeling disconnected or overwhelmed, EMDR therapy could be the key to finding the relief and healing you need. Here are some signs that it may be time to explore EMDR therapy:
You feel stuck, and finding a solution feels overwhelming or impossible
Focusing at work or school is a struggle, and you’re falling behind
You're avoid leaving the house and seeing friends
You're over self-critical.
Connecting with others is difficult, and you often feel misunderstood
Your emotions and thoughts are overwhelming
You feel disconnected, like you're just going through the motions
It may feel impossible now, but you can find relief and reclaim your life. You can live a life that is fulfilling and grounded in your true self. And we can help you get there.
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Our Comprehensive Approach to Personalized EMDR Therapy

At Creating Space Therapy, we believe that healing from trauma is a deeply personal journey, and no two paths are the same. That’s why we offer personalized EMDR therapy tailored specifically to your unique experiences, needs, and goals. Our EMDRIA-certified therapists work closely with you to understand the root causes of your distress and guide you through a healing process that is as individual as you are. With our compassionate and evidence-based approach, you’ll find the support you need to not only heal but to thrive, reclaiming the life you deserve.

Individualised treatment planning

Your therapy begins with a thorough understanding of your history, strengths, and goals. EMDR targets are chosen collaboratively, ensuring the work remains grounded, intentional, and aligned with what feels most important to you.

Pacing that prioritises safety

EMDR is never rushed. Preparation, stabilisation, and resourcing are essential parts of the process. Your therapist adjusts the pace based on your nervous system, ensuring that healing unfolds in a way that feels manageable and supportive.

Integrated, whole-person care

EMDR is often integrated with other trauma-informed approaches, including somatic therapy, parts work, and attachment-based care. This allows treatment to support not only memory processing, but emotional regulation, self-trust, and long-term resilience.

How EMDR Therapy Can Help

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Process and Heal from Past Experiences

Together, we’ll gently work through your painful memories, allowing you to reprocess and heal from past experiences at your own pace. Healing doesn’t mean erasing the past—it means finding a way to live with it in a way that no longer overwhelms you.
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Develop Skills to Manage Distressing Thoughts and Emotions

We’ll help you develop personalized coping strategies so you can navigate overwhelming thoughts and emotions with greater ease. These skills will empower you to regain a sense of calm and control in your daily life.
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Rediscover Hope and Build a Future You Deserve

Through our work together, you'll begin to see that a fulfilling future is within reach. We'll explore ways to rebuild your life, allowing you to find new joy and purpose that align with your goals.
04

Reconnect with Your True Self and Values

Trauma can make you feel disconnected from who you are. We'll work on helping you reconnect with your core values and sense of self, guiding you toward a life that feels authentic and aligned with your deepest beliefs.

Our EMDR Therapists

At Creating Space Therapy, our EMDR therapists are highly trained in helping clients navigate the challenges of trauma, grief, and overwhelming stress. Using Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), they guide clients through a structured, evidence-based process that addresses the emotional and physical impacts of trauma. Our EMDR therapists bring compassion, expertise, and a client-centered approach to every session, ensuring that you feel supported and empowered throughout your healing journey. Whether you're seeking relief from painful memories or looking to reclaim a sense of calm and control in your life, our EMDR specialists are here to help you find lasting relief and resilience.
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Thelma Razo
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
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Partnering With Your Primary Therapist
Enhance Your Therapy with Adjunctive EMDR
When therapy feels stuck or certain issues seem unmovable, adding EMDR can be the key to breaking through. By working alongside your primary therapist, EMDR therapy can target specific memories or beliefs, accelerating progress and helping you move past obstacles that have been holding you back.
When should I add EMDR to my therapy?
We’ve all had those moments in therapy where we feel stuck or loop on issues related to negative life experiences. It can be discouraging for both the client and the therapist. Oftentimes, when the primary therapist and client collaborate with an EMDR therapist, this partnership can help move treatment forward. Perhaps you’ve had a felt sense that something profound has yet to change, but you’re not quite sure how to shift all the way into a new experience of yourself with your current therapist. Maybe you now cognitively understand new things, yet your body is still confused, so you’re curious about how adding EMDR therapy can help.
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How does adding EMDR to my talk therapy work?
We partner with primary therapists and their clients to target specific memories, body sensations, or limiting beliefs with EMDR. By narrowly targeting specific traumatic memories or intrusive material, brief adjunct EMDR can accelerate progress in traditional therapy, help the client and the primary therapist to resolve stuck points, and enrich their ongoing work.
What kinds of trauma or problems is EMDR good for?
Adding EMDR therapy does not need to replace or interrupt your ongoing traditional therapy; it can be supplemental to your primary therapeutic relationship. By adding EMDR therapy, clients continue to receive treatment with their primary therapist. Usually when adding EMDR therapy to "regular therapy" it is short-term and is focused on desensitizing a single-incident trauma or simple phobias that may be interfering with your therapeutic gains. The success of treatment is based on clearly outlined goals for the EMDR therapist, defined in collaboration with the primary therapist and you.
Still unsure about EMDR therapy? We understand.
It’s normal to have questions or concerns about trying a new form of therapy, especially one as unique as EMDR. At Creating Space Therapy, we want to address some of the most common hesitations to help you feel informed and confident about beginning your healing journey.

EMDR FAQ

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapy that helps individuals heal from the emotional distress caused by traumatic events. It works by using bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories, reducing their impact and allowing you to move forward with greater resilience. Our certified EMDR therapists in Batavia, Naperville, and through online telehealth are experienced in guiding clients through this transformative process.

EMDR therapy is highly effective for a range of issues, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and trauma-related symptoms. Whether you’re dealing with recent trauma or unresolved issues from the past, our certified EMDR therapists can help you work through these challenges. We offer EMDR therapy at our Batavia and Naperville locations, as well as through online telehealth for clients across Illinois.

The number of EMDR sessions required varies depending on the complexity of the trauma and your individual needs. Some clients may notice significant improvements within a few sessions, while others may require a more extended treatment plan. Our certified EMDR therapists will work with you to create a personalized approach, ensuring that you receive the care you need at a pace that’s right for you.

Yes, EMDR therapy is particularly effective for long-standing trauma that may not have responded well to other forms of therapy. By targeting the root cause of the distress, EMDR can help you reprocess and release deeply held traumatic memories. Our certified EMDR therapists in Batavia, Naperville, and online are skilled in helping clients heal from even the most entrenched trauma.

Yes, EMDR therapy can be effectively conducted online. At Creating Space Therapy, our certified EMDR therapists offer secure telehealth sessions that provide the same level of care and effectiveness as in-person therapy. Whether you're in Batavia, Naperville, or anywhere in Illinois, online EMDR therapy allows you to receive the benefits of this powerful treatment from the comfort of your home.

One of the most common concerns is that EMDR will bring up overwhelming emotions. While processing distressing memories can feel intense, EMDR is designed to ensure you feel safe and supported throughout the process. Your therapist will teach you grounding and calming techniques to manage emotions during and between sessions, allowing you to process memories at your own pace.

Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR doesn’t require you to share every detail of your trauma. Instead, the therapy focuses on how the memory is stored in your brain and helps reprocess it without needing to relive it fully. This makes EMDR a gentler approach for many clients.

Yes, EMDR is backed by decades of research and endorsed by leading organizations like the American Psychological Association and the World Health Organization. It’s a proven, evidence-based method for treating trauma, PTSD, grief, and anxiety.

EMDR therapy meets you where you are. There’s no pressure to begin reprocessing until you feel prepared. The initial sessions focus on building trust, developing coping skills, and ensuring you feel ready for the process.

You Deserve to Heal and Find Lasting Relief
Living with trauma, anxiety, or depression isn’t something that has to be a life sentence. You deserve the time, space, and the right approach to fully address the root causes of your distress. At Creating Space Therapy, we believe your journey toward healing is valid and deserves the personalized care it requires. Through EMDR therapy, we support you in processing your emotions and experiences, no matter how overwhelming they may feel. Our experienced, EMDRIA-certified therapists are here to guide you every step of the way, offering compassion, expertise, and the tools to help you find the relief you’ve been searching for. You don’t have to navigate this journey alone—your healing is our priority, and we’re here to ensure you feel supported and empowered throughout.
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